Illinois’ David Mirkovic on Purdue game – ‘If we lost and I wasn’t playing I would kill myself’.

Illinois took an upset victory over Purdue on Saturday, winning 88-82. In the game, Keaton Wagler had a historical performance for Illinois. Meanwhile, David Mirkovic was also a major player in the contest, even though there were questions about his availability before the game. After the game, Mirkovic explained how determined he was to play against Purdue.

“If we lost today and I wasn’t playing I would kill myself probably,” Mirkovic said after the game to the media, per Glenn Kinley of WCIA3 in Illinois.

The Illinois star was dealing with an ankle injury that was causing a massive amount of discomfort. While the comment may be a tad bit extreme, it shows the competitive spirit and drive of the freshman forward.

“Coach (Underwood) came to me at breakfast and said adrenaline is the best drug,” Mirkovic added. “When you come out there and see 14,000 drunk fans cussing at you, you’re gonna be good.”

Mirkovic had a solid game against Purdue, putting up 12 points with eight rebounds and two assists, helping his team get the upset victory, and leading to an exciting moment for the Illini and their players.

“After the buzzer, I was just screaming for straight seven minutes. I was just screaming. I lost so much energy. Even in the locker room, I started throwing chairs. I just sat on my chair, like, dying. I was just screaming for like seven minutes straight. It was good,” Mirkovic continued, according to Matt Clapp of Awful Announcing.

The freshman forward has been a major player for the Illini this year. He leads the team with 8.4 rebounds per game while also adding 12.2 points per game. Illinois is now 17-3 on the season, and in second place in the Big Ten. They return to the court on Thursday, hosting Washington.

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